co+labo Radović @ Keio University

co+labo radović     Darko's Theory+Practice of Urbanity at the University of Florence, DIDA  

Following an invitation from Professor Leonardo Chiesi to take part in his innovative course Sociology of Architecture at the University of Florence, Dipartimento di Architettura - DiDa, on 26 February 2019 Darko has delivered a lecture and introduced a workshop entitled Immersion into the residual - fragments from the Theory and Practice of Urbanity (TPU). In broadest terms, the lecture, which focused at some of the key aspects of his research-led subject TPU, was aimed at opening discussion about the the ways in which cities get thought, made and lived. The lecture addressed the idea(l) of urbanity through a number of themes, favouring those which are related to the plurality, coexistence and simultaneity of the ways of living urban life. From the opening, essential question “what makes cities - cities”, the focus moved on the importance of everyday life, Lefebvrian concept of residual and bottom-up power, towards the importance of immersion, (inter)action and lived experience. That has set the basis for fieldwork component of TPU@UniFi, and handed the lead over to students, and their explorative and imaginative actions during the fieldwork.

The lecture was bookended by two Sketch and Script impromptu exhibitions of artwork by Davisi Boontharm. As during the TPU at Politecnico di Milano (2017) and its fragments at National University of Singapore (2018), the purpose of Davisi's exhibitions of drawings and watercolours and conversations with students was to inspire, and to lead and elevate the discourse on urban quality into the realm of visual interactions. TPU@UniFi fieldwork (26.2-5.2.2019) focused at search of nothing less than the essence of the urban. The task was to seek oeuvre beyond the spectacular, in everyday spaces of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and to communicate the discovered quality - in a unique, innovative souvenir format which was introduced and tested at co+labo radović in 2018.  

The review of reports included discussions, appraisal of the works presented and - electro encephalograph (EEG) assisted insights into emotional responses to the souvenirs (above, a brief insight into Darko's brain).